


Utilitarianism

by elephantaccent



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, badger cereal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-09-12 19:52:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16878156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elephantaccent/pseuds/elephantaccent
Summary: Danny’s life was filled with the stress from his secret. Constant questions like, “would my parents find out today?” What Danny wasn’t aware of was the mic connected to his bed, his mirror, his toothbrush, his phone and implanted behind his ear. And while he worries he wasn't aware of his parents sitting in the basement discussing his every move. “Jack, he’s up, day 309, time is 8:23 am, begin log.”orDanny's parents knew he had ghost powers, and were actually the reason he has them. To find out more on half ghosts they decided to use a test subject they can keep an eye on, that being their son.





	1. Twenty Years Ago

Maddie’s thumbnail is held in a grip in between her teeth. The remains of the proto portal sit on Jack’s desk, in the lab. Jack’s hair is a mess and he hasn’t showered in days. Both of them losing sleep over one question. How did this happen? It was two months ago, the accident. Their friend was hit with the proto portal and hospitalized. Vlad Masters was slowly dying in his hospital bed, and it was their fault.  
They managed to visit Vlad immediately, but he was always asleep. Curious about the effect the blast had, they began to run their own tests. Ectoplasm in his bloodstream, enough that theoretically should have killed him. DNA, it had been changed, seemingly unchangeable due to science and yet, the evidence was there. Vlad Masters was theoretically showing signs of becoming an ectoplasmic entity.  
They sat in the school lab, making sure they weren’t dreaming. Checking and rechecking the math. Yet all conclusions pointed to the same answer. He was half ghost. But how, how could they do this, and more importantly, how could they do it again? What did this mean for humanity, for their research, for the rest of time? This to them was the beginning, the beginning of a long road ahead of them. The both of them knew they had to stick together and use each other as their only valid resources, with that in the next year, Jack and Maddie were married. 

Vlad woke up in a few months, alone. His friends hadn’t visited and he was no longer human. He was what he hated the most, finding parts of himself intangible. Waking up due to floating off of his bed. He was terrified and alone, he had become a creature that his only friends would never accept. Friends that didn’t even visit him, friends who abandoned him. Was it fear of killing him? Or fear he was contaminated? He couldn’t even give them an explanation. Vlad Masters knew that from now on, he was alone. In a year he left the hospital, welcomed by the news of Jack and Maddie’s marriage. With this discovery of hate, he only had one goal, the death of the Fenton family, mainly, Jack. 

Amity Park, known for its spectral energy. It was perfect to begin research there. The Fenton couple moved into their brick home with the intention of changing the world. Research began immediately. It was rare to see the two outside in the neighborhood. The house was always dark, only the windows of the kitchen lighting up every now and again. Kids began daring each other to knock on the door, but even knocks or ringing the bell didn’t catch the attention of the young couple. Nobody knew what the scientists were studying, people began to spread rumors. “Don’t go near, I bet they’re dealing with radioactive chemicals.”  
“The government paid them to do dirty work, they’re working on chemical weapons.” But in all honesty, nobody had a clue of what exactly the two were doing. Nobody would have guessed, it wouldn't have crossed any sane person's mind. They had spent months in their basement, living off protein bars and coffee. Their bloodshot eyes always facing equations, reports, and blueprints. 

“We need the government Jack, you know we can’t do this without a test subject.” Maddie was holding on to her husband's shoulders. Looking over the documents he was skimming. “Maddie, they’d never go along with this. You saw Vlad, nobody offers their sanity to science.” Maddie let go and sat down against the lab wall. She sighed and scratched at her shaved head. “I know, but we’re running out of money. We need to do something. We can’t keep this up for much longer.” Jack’s head fell into his hands. He knew she was right, but where was the right place to start? They needed money, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It was among this discussion where they decided to take another path to victory. They took showers, organized the lab and set off.  
In just a year the Fenton couple went from the neighborhood creeps to the neighborhood crazies. They had offered themselves to the government, wanting to do research on Amity Park’s spectral energy. At this time the city was still unconvinced that ghosts were real. However, nobody in the government ignored or denied the existence of ghosts, it was a problem that needed to be solved. As months went by the Fentons had gotten paid and provided weaponry and data to eventually rid the world of ghosts. On the outside, they seemed to be a friendly yet eccentric couple, accepted in the community as something to laugh at.  
“They would never understand, it’s too risky. Our job isn’t to harm humans.” With more sleep, Jack was starting to make more sense. Maddie had to listen to him, they had to keep this a secret. “Then how do we do this? We can’t let this slip past us, Jack. This is the discovery of the century.” They knew that both of them did. And then Jack went still, with eyes wide. “A child. Maddie!” He shot up, fast enough to knock over the stool he was sitting on. He grabbed her shoulders and brought her close. “Maddie, that’s it. We can have a child. A child is someone we can watch all the time with no questions. We will know everything about them because they’re ours.” This could work. They could do this. This wasn’t a bad idea, it wasn’t even questioned. In their mind, this was sane to think, it was going to be accepted. The scientists never questioned what they were doing. It is this decision that made the Fenton couple truly lose their humanity along with their sanity.  
In just two years the Fenton family had grown. I beautiful baby girl was born, Jazz Fenton. The couple cried and held her close in the hospital bed. The doctors congratulated them and took a photo. Anyone could see how happy the couple was. Once Maddie was able to leave, they carried the baby with loving arms into their van, and laid her gently in the car seat. The family drove to their home in silence. Once they parked in their driveway neighbors approached with cookies and such helping spread the happy news. “Thank you, everyone. Joann, you should get one soon too. My little Jazz needs a friend soon!” Jack happily said to the couple next door. Maddie elbowed him in the gut, “Oh Jack don’t pressure them, everyone has their time.” She turned back to the couple, “but your baby would be very cute. Well anyway, we need some sleep. Thank you again for the sweets, but I can’t blame my cravings on this little one anymore.” They parted ways with pleasantries and with that the Fenton couple was alone in their home. “I really love that couple, so nice,” Maddie said as they began to head to the lab as Jack followed with the baby. “I know, and their fudge is the best I’ve ever tasted. We should invite them over for some wine.” Jack placed the baby on an examination table with added railing in order to keep her from rolling off, and then left to get some files. Maddie laughed, “I know you’re just trying to get more fudge out of them. And anyway, the house is always so messy it drives me crazy. We can have guests when we get everything organized.” She started up her computer and went to a table holding some tools, collecting what she needed. Jack was already back next to Jazz, examining her and writing down figures. Maddie eventually joined with a tray of examination tools. She grabbed a stool and began her work. She measured the child, took her blood work, blood pressure, temperature, urine sample, hearing, and eye tests. During this time the child began to cry, but neither of them were phased. Their friendly conversation continued as well as their tests. “Alright I think that’s it,” Maddie claimed as she began to wash off the tools and put them away. Jack was still writing things down and then filing. Once the research they had planned to do was completed they tended to the child, doing the necessary and only that. The first few months of Jazz’s life followed that pattern. She lay on the table, with only a makeshift rattle to keep her company. When she cried they ignored it, only giving her attention when a setup timer went off. It was coming to the end of the seventh month when the Fenton's noticed something. They recently started to put Jazz on the floor in a playpen where she usually sits quietly. When Jack was walking by he noticed something, Jazz was standing. “Maddie look!” Jack exclaimed pointing at the kid, she was trying to take steps, trying yet failing. Maddie caught a glimpse herself, in shock she grabbed a schedule pinned on the wall next to the playpen. She looked back in forth between the child and the papers. “That’s more than a month earlier than expected.” With this discovery, plans began to change. Physical ability tests started to be complemented with mental ability tests. The discovered something they hadn’t thought of, she was intelligent. A fast learner, a body with potential. At sixteen months she was speaking small sentences. Again, two months ahead of other smart children. She was already grasping math and reading. It was unbelievable, she was a prodigy. The smarter she got the parents began to feel attached. They hadn’t expected to love the child. All the tears and photos at the hospital and before were faked. This wasn’t their child to them, this was a test subject. At least, it was supposed to be. Maddie loved reading with her and Jack loved when she helped with small experiments. But with this realization they came to a problem, they couldn’t take her away from the world. This project had been planned to the last second, ending with the death of their daughter in an intentional accident. How else would they be able to dissect her? They were scientists, they couldn’t take a life that could be beneficial. With that, another quick decision was made. Just a month before Jazz turned two, Maddie was pregnant once again. 

Ten years later the Fenton family was known as the two scientist parents, with a genius daughter and an average son. They seemed to be a very normal family, besides the loud science experiments. The kids seemed to be independent, Jazz was always in her room with a stack of books, and their son Danny was always busy with his two friends in the neighborhood. Which always left the parents to their own affairs. “Alright, ecto filtrators are ready, the ectoplasmic converter is running and all calculations are correct. Turn it on Jack.” Maddie said with a smile, as she stood behind a barricade with her husband, on the other side was a small piece of metal with a hole in the middle. Jack flipped a switch and the hole began to glow and spark, and soon the room was filled with a green glow coming from the hole. “Proto Portal is active, we did it Mads!” Jack screamed hugging his wife. “Jack, we’re just scraping the surface.”


	2. Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny Phantom is born.

           Another explosion shook the boy's desk. He was used to this, his parents were known as the town freaks. He didn’t know how the government was still funding their work. Sure they were fun and caring but, he’s honestly shocked they haven’t taken out a city block yet.

           Danny was a skinny, average fourteen-year-old boy simply doing his homework after school. He wasn’t the best at school or sports, he had no redeeming qualities to help him stand out. His government-funded “scientist” parents and genius sister were always creating a shadow too big for him to even imagine surpassing one day. But even with all of these aspects of his life, he was fine. He had good friends, sure he was bullied but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Danny also had a love for Astronomy. That kept him going during the harder times, it reminded him that he did have a dream, and maybe even a purpose. Sure his grades weren’t as good as his sister’s, but he was average and even held some nice relationships with his teachers. His favorite being Mr. Lancer, he was strict and standoffish, but when Danny came for help they always had a good time. Mr. Lancer was one of the only teachers that didn’t compare him to Jazz, and for that he was grateful.  

            Whenever Danny heard an explosion, he always knew his parents were okay, but it never stopped him from checking on them. With a sigh, he got up from his desk and made his way downstairs. “Mom, Dad, you alive?” He yelled from the kitchen. Admittedly his stomach dropped a bit when he didn’t get a response. He turned to face the door to the lab, but before he ran downstairs he heard the thunderous feet of his parents running up. Dany took a breath, reminding himself that they were fine. His parents appeared in the doorway with their eyes shining. “Danny! Get your sister, it’s a miracle.” They both screamed in his face taking him back a bit. He would normally ask why, but he knows that their eyes are showing too much determination for him to fight their request. Danny dragged himself halfway up the stairs and yelled, “Jazz, Mom, and Dad need us!” He could almost hear Jazz roll her eyes in her room, her head most likely stuck in a book. She begrudgingly came downstairs, just like Danny, knowing she couldn't fight her parents. “Kids come to the lab, and watch your step,” their Mother said leading them down the basement stairs. As they reached the bottom floor, Danny’s jaw dropped. In front of him and his family, stood a giant hole in the far wall. “Kids, sit behind that barrier. We want you to be here.” Jack led them to a tipped over table acting as a blockade. Though Jazz had not shown any reaction yet, Danny’s eyes were bright with curiosity and pride for his parents.

           A normal kid would be fearful of possible danger, but Danny trusted them. He knew they would never put him in danger. Their parents rushed between them. “Alright, kids, what is the best thing about having scientist parents?” Jack asked with his voice loud and filled with pride. Danny and Jazz both replied in synchronization, “miracles happen in our very home,” of course this was complemented with Jazz rolling her eyes while Danny’s were sparkling. Jack laughed, “that’s right, and the day has finally come. Your Mother and I have finally made a hole into the ghost dimension!” This statement is what got Jazz’s attention, she quickly stood up, “hold on, this sound more dangerous than the ghost grenade (TM). Mom, Dad, do you know nothing of quantum physics? What will breaking a hole in our dimension do? It could destroy the universe as we know it? And what kind of radiation will we be exposed to? Don’t even get me started on that fact that if this even manages to break a hole into a new dimension, what creatures could have an open invitation to our home. There are so many risks, I’m not just going to sit here and let this happen.” Maddie walked up to Jazz in a very calming matter. She put her hands on her daughter's shoulder and said, “Jazz, sweetie. I understand that this is confusing but your Father and I have been testing this for years. You kids are our top priority, we would never do anything to put you in danger.”

“Unless of course, you deserve it,” Jack interjected with his goofy smile. “Jack, be quiet. This isn’t time for jokes.” She turned back to Jazz, “honey, the only reason we are showing you this is because we know it’s going to work.” at this Danny stood up wanting to defend his parents. “Jazz, come on. What if it does work, and we are safe? Then we actually _will_ be seeing a miracle!” Jazz could tell how excited her younger brother was. Her parents, she could argue with. In fact, she would agree with most of the town, they were crazy. But her brother, sure he was annoying, yes he was young and immature. But she had to protect him, she swore that to herself when she first saw him. She truly cared for him. Which is what made it so hard for her to resist him when he looked at her like that. With that being said, with a sigh, Jazz sat behind the barricade. Danny smiled at her and she did the same back.

            With the permission of their daughter, Maddie and Jack went straight to work. Flipping makeshift switches and checking monitors, until they joined the kids behind the barricade. “Alright kids, let’s make history!” Jack screamed into the air and plugged the last two cords into each other. Lights began to flash, sparks came from every energy source in the room. And it them seemed to all center around the portal. The light swirled and flashed as if it was desperately trying to break the dimensional wall. And then, just like that, there was darkness. The power had gone out, and there was no break in the dimension. Soon enough the emergency lights were automatically switched on and the family was surrounded by a soft green hue.

           The disappointment wasn’t lacking in the room, even Jazz was holding a small frown. Knowing the sadness of their parents mourning the death of a project, who knew how much longer it was going to take. With that thought in mind, Jazz and Danny headed back to their rooms leaving their parents to most likely go over calculations. However, as soon as the kids were out of sight an unintentional smile grew on the parents’ faces. “Do you think he’ll do it?” Maddie asked while starting to move the barricade back. “I can’t see why not, he has always had a lot of curiosity. Jazz seemed to also want to stay away from it all. I think we’re in the clear.”

           For the next few days, Jack and Maddie had begun to leave the house often. Saying they were getting more field work done. Trying to convince the children that they wouldn’t be around much. They took the RV and were gone for hours, sometimes till early in the morning. They simply drove around, going from secluded spot to secluded spot. Just watching footage of Danny. Waiting for him to catch on, to take those steps towards the lab.

 

           Danny was starting to get worried, he had never seen his parents in this much distress. Were they just depressed, should he do something? Sam and Tucker were quick to catch up on his weird behavior. It was during lunch when his friends had decided to confront him. “Danny, is everything okay at home?” Sam had begun the conversation. Causing Danny to look up from the cafeteria food. “Well yes...and no.” He started, then paused to look around. Making sure that nobody could be eavesdropping. “It’s my parents. Remember the portal they’ve been working on literally since I was born?” His friends both nodded. “Did they finish it?” Tucker asked with honest excitement. “I guess? But it doesn’t work. The other night they tried to turn it on but nothing really happened. So ever since they have basically gone a-wall. They barely come home, saying they’re doing fieldwork.” Danny was rambling out of anxiousness, in reality, he always held concern for his parent's crazy experiments. “So you’re worried about them? Danny listen, you’re strong and I’m guessing the only way you got that trait is from your parents. They’ll bounce back. They’ve been scientists for years, their job is literally to fail.” Another thing Danny wouldn’t admit is how Sam knows exactly how to calm him down.

           It was easy for Danny to get lost in her deep violet eyes. He couldn’t explain it, the way she could say anything and it would bring him peace. She could be threatening him and it would be like the soundtrack to a spa. In his case, love was blind and deaf.

           Meanwhile, as Danny daydreamed Tucker stepped in. “Dude, I think Sam is right, they’ll be fine. But in the meantime, your parents are gone and the device that is meant to break a hole through reality is left unattended in your basement. In other words, free to look around.”

“That’s a horri-...actually that sounds pretty cool. Danny, what do you think? It’s the perfect way to get over any situation, by teenage rebellion.” Danny looked at them shell-shocked. “Guys, do you hear yourselves? It’s dangerous!”

“You said you were there when they tested it. That must mean it’s safe. They wouldn’t put you in danger. And Sam brings up a good point, we barely rebel. As teenagers, it’s our job.” Danny had to admit, it sounded interesting. He wanted to be an astronaut, and if he was really taking that seriously then imagine what the exposure would do to benefit him in a future of exploring other galaxies? “Alright, let’s be stupid.”

 

            That afternoon Jazz had been staying back at school to do some tutoring. Danny didn’t really know her schedule so he figured today would be best to check the portal out.  The trio walked to Danny’s as if it were any other day. Laughing and talking about their days. That was until they walked into the Fenton home. A sudden silence and eerie feeling came over the three of them. “What are we waiting for, lead the way Danny,” Danny had heard Sam from behind, she stood in her usual confident stance. He smiled and began to walk. Once they had reached the basement door Danny worried that they wouldn’t be able to open it. He had forgotten that his parents had _always_ locked the lab door. So he was shocked to see that it opened with no resistance, almost as if it was inviting him in.

            The lab looked slightly messy but nothing too bad. It was brightly lit and free of any parents. Sam and Tucker walked around as if it were a museum. “I can’t believe I’m actually down here. This technology is so advanced and you just have it sitting in your basement?” Tucker asked, looking so amazed Danny could have sworn his pupils had turned star-shaped. “I have to agree with you for once Tucker, this stuff is pretty intense. I can’t believe it’s this big and it was here the whole time.” Danny enjoyed watching his friends and walked around with them until he tripped.

            Danny stumbled on his feet and looked back to see a cord. It was one of the cords his parents had used to start the portal up. “Danny, you okay?” Sam had asked watching the accident. Danny nodded and picked up the cord, looking for the other to plug it in to. Quickly he found it and called to the others. “Guys, I’m pretty sure this is it. Can you move that table on to the floor like a barricade?” His friends nodded and did as told, soon the three were behind it and Danny was pretty certain this is how it looked all those days ago. “Should we really do this?” He asked. “Danny come on, it probably won’t even work,” Sam assured him and Tucker gave a shrug. Danny took a deep breath and plugged them in.

            Lighting and flashes just as before. And then once again, nothing. The three were disappointed obviously and silence fell over the room. “Well, I guess let’s go do homework,” Danny said standing up. Tucker got up with him until Sam spoke, “Or...we go inside?” Both of the boys froze and looked at her with shock. “Sam...no. Who knows what kind of radioactive...chemicals could there be? And if we get hurt, it’s my house, therefore my fault.”

“Danny, it’s six feet deep, we are already exposed to it. Let’s just get a better look.” She got up and started walking towards it. Danny immediately ran in front of her. “Wait wait wait. You’re not just going to stroll into something so dangerous.” She put her hand in the one that was used to grip her shoulder. “Danny, calm down. Nothing is going to happen, it obviously doesn’t work, so what’s the harm?” He looked at Sam and back at the portal behind him. He knew this was stupid. He could feel the world telling him to hold his ground, but then he looked back at her. He couldn’t say no to her, so he’d have to compromise. “Fine, but let me go first. This is my house, so you’re my responsibility. I’ll make sure it’s safe.” He said letting go. Sam rolled her eyes and laughed, “fine, whatever makes you comfortable.”

            While the conversation went on with the two Tucker had been looking around some more. A hazmat suit was laying on a table with a paper sign in front that read, ‘prototype portal suit.’ “Yo Danny, if you’re done acting like prince charming come look at this.” Tucker didn’t have to look behind him to know Danny blushed an unnaturally dark shade of red. He was soon next to him looking at the suit as well. He laughed, “see, it really could be radioactive or something.”

“Then let’s get the show on the road and put it on.” Tucker picked the suit up and through it to him. “What?” Danny took a double take and the suit and his friends. “Come on, I want to see some aliens already. Get dressed.” Tucker said and he and Sam walked back behind the table. Danny walked in front of the portal, “alright, I’ve always wanted to know what awesome super cool things are on the other side of this portal.” He looked down at the suit and began to put it on when halfway through he heard a click. Looking up he saw Sam pulling the newly taken polaroid picture from the camera and waving it in the air. He rolled his eyes and zipped the rest of the suit up. “Alright, time to die,” he said looking back at his friends. “Hold on,” Sam gave him a begrudging look. She wrapped her hand around a sticker of his dads face on the suit off. “You’re not going in there with that on your chest.” They smiled at each other until Sam pushed him closer to the device and walked back behind the makeshift barricade. “Let it rip big boy,” Tucker yelled at him.

            The sound of his boot hitting the smooth metal echoed through the portal. He could now clearly hear the clicking and hum of technology working throughout the invention. The more mesmerized he became the more steps he took. It was dark, and he began to feel around the walls for guidance until he felt something going into the wall. He slowly continued to drag his hand. And as if time stopped, he could feel the small dent push down ever so softly as if all it needed was wind. And then there was light. It engulfed him, blinded him, and hurt him. All he could hear was screaming. He didn’t know if it was his or his friends. But the pain, god the pain. He could feel every cell in his body burst and then regain shape. His DNA was being ripped apart then rejoined. Every hair follicle was being violently ripped out of his body and growing back. It burned like he was being skinned ever so slowly. It was only a few seconds, but all he could think was, ‘kill me.’

 

            “No no no!” Maddie screamed at the monitor. “Jack can’t you go any _fucking_ faster!” She could hear honking as their RV sped through every intersection between them and their home. When they arrived it had already happened. Readings in the RV were going crazy. “God Dammit!” Jack screamed and slammed his head into the wheel. “What do we do, this wasn’t the plan! This idiot couldn’t get down there himself? He needed his dumb friends?” Maddie said looking at the video footage. They both sat there for a while listening to Sam and Tucker scream at a ghost Danny who was out cold. “Should we kill them?” Jack said looking out the window. His wife sighed, “no, that’s too risky...shit. All of this and we didn’t even take into account he was _this_ dumb.”

“What do we do now?”

“I guess...we postpone it. If we kill and dissect Danny soon then the others will know. We’ll have to play dumb.” Jack was quiet for a while until Maddie heard him whimper. She whipped around in her chair to look at his hands covering his face, “Jack?” She asked with a voice of concern. “I can’t,” he whispered. “How am I supposed to live with something like that in my home? What could he do to Jazz? What is he capable of now? It’s disgusting!” Jack screamed and looked at his wife. She saw the tears running down his face. She ran to him and hugged him. They sat there together crying into each other's arms with the sounds of teenagers sobbing and screaming, ‘please wake up.’ As the two began to talk and calm down together they agreed, “he has until the end of sophomore year. Then we’ll do it.” And then they drove, somewhere far away to cope with the survival of their son.

 

            A few hours later the Fenton houses door opened as Sam and Tucker walked out. They turned back to look at Danny. He was covering his face with a red hoodie. The driveway was still empty, no parents had come home yet. It had been hours of Sam and Tucker crying next to him apologizing. Once they all calmed down it was research, trying to reverse it, trying to explain it, just trying to somewhat grasp what they had done to this boy’s body. “Danny, are you sure you don’t want us to stay longer?” Sam asked, trying to cover her face painted with mascara lines. “Yeah, I think I just need to be alone right now. Don’t worry, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Before they could retaliate anymore, he had closed the door. The two walked away with heavy hearts, not even knowing what to feel.

            Danny went up to his room and laid on his bed. He looked at his arms as they flashed from invisible and visible. He felt sick and especially scared. “What are they going to say?” He said to himself. And for the first time in his life, Danny Fenton quietly cried himself to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support! I'm glad you're all enjoying it. For updates my Tumblr is @shehasamole.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I've been around since the first episode of Danny Phantom. I've loved it a bit too much all this time. So I created this story. I was going to wait to finish writing it to post it, but now that Tumblr is about to die I took it as a sign. I make no promises on timing, but it's all planned, just need the write it out. Wish me luck, and constructive feedback is well appreciated. Enjoy!


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